1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutter device and a printer having the same, and more particularly, relates to a cutter device and a printer having the same, capable of neatly treating dust created by cutting sheet material.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A color thermal printer is a device according to three-color frame-sequential recording. A recording sheet is fed in a feeding direction as either one of forward and backward directions. During the feeding, one thermal head records three-color images to the recording sheet.
In the thermal printer, a capstan roller and a pinch roller nip the recording sheet and feed the recording sheet in forward and backward directions while the capstan roller is driven. A thermal head thermally prints an image one color after another while the recording sheet is fed in either of the directions. To stabilize the thermal printing, a recording region is defined in the recording sheet with a smaller size for recording of the image. There occur margins about the recording region. On the other hand, marginless prints are widely used in the field of the silver halide photograph. It is conceivable in the thermal recording for prints not to have the margins. Therefore, it is necessary to cut the margins away from the recording region.
To cut the margins, it is possible to use a front and rear margin cutter unit or a slitter for cutting away lateral margins.
JP-A 7-107228 discloses an example of the front and rear margin cutter unit, which includes a movable blade and a stationary blade between which a path for the recording sheet is disposed. The movable blade is moved in a cutting direction which is perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording sheet. The stationary blade has a plate shape and has a straight cutting edge extending in the cutting direction. The movable blade moves in contact with the stationary blade to cut the recording sheet in the cutting direction.
In the front and rear margin cutter unit of the document above, the movable blade moves in the cutting direction. If the recording sheet should move in the cutting direction even to a small extent, straight cutting is impossible. A side edge to be cut finally is likely to be squeezed between the movable blade and the stationary blade and to move with the movable blade. When the movable blade returns to the initial position, dust from the margin drops, and may be scattered on a lower surface of the thermal printer. Scattered dust, if cutting is repeated, is likely to influence various mechanisms in the thermal printer.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a cutter device and a printer having the same, capable of reliable cutting operation without failure, and neatly treating dust created by the cutting operation.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a cutter device includes at least one stationary blade having a stationary blade cutting edge extending crosswise to sheet material. At least one movable blade moves in contact with the stationary blade cutting edge to cut the sheet material. A retention mechanism prevents the sheet material from being moved by the movable blade while the movable blade cuts the sheet material.
Furthermore, a moving mechanism moves the movable blade forwards along the stationary blade cutting edge from an initial position to a shifted position, and then moves the movable blade backwards from the shifted position to the initial position to cause the movable blade to stand by.
The retention mechanism includes a stopper plate, disposed close to the shifted position of the movable blade, for contacting a side edge of the sheet material to prevent the sheet material from moving.
Furthermore, a guide member has at least one portion opposed to the sheet material, and is provided with the stopper plate projecting therefrom, for guiding the sheet material being fed in a position downstream or upstream from the stationary and movable blades.
Furthermore, a shifter mechanism causes the guide member to shift the stopper plate between first and second positions. The stopper plate, when in the first position, contacts the side edge, and when in the second position, is away from the side edge.
The movable blade is disposed away from the sheet material when in the initial position, and reaches the sheet material to start cutting when moved from the initial position to a cutting starting position. The shifter mechanism moves the stopper plate to the first position before the movable blade is moved from the initial position to the cutting starting position, and keeps the stopper plate in the first position while the movable blade is between the cutting starting position and the shifted position.
Furthermore, a blade holder supports the movable blade and is moved by the moving mechanism.
The shifter mechanism includes a first engaging portion formed with the guide member. A second engaging portion is formed with the blade holder, for setting the stopper plate in the first position by pushing the first engaging portion.
The moving mechanism includes a cutter motor for rotating in one direction. An endless belt or chain has first and second portions extending substantially in parallel with each other, and is turned by the cutter motor. A clutch is connected between the belt or chain and the blade holder, for causing the blade holder to move forwards by transmitting movement of the first portion thereto, and to move backwards by transmitting movement of the second portion thereto.
The moving mechanism includes a cutter motor for moving forwards the blade holder by rotating forwards, and for moving backwards the blade holder by rotating backwards.
The movable blade is a rotatable circular blade.
The sheet material is a recording sheet, and includes a recording region adapted to image recording. At least first and second margin regions are positioned downstream and upstream from the recording region in a feeding direction crosswise to the stationary blade cutting edge. The at least one movable blade cuts the first or second margin region away from the recording region.
The at least one movable blade is first and second movable blades, and the at least one stationary blade is first and second stationary blades. Front and rear margin cutters are arranged in the feeding direction, for cutting respectively the first and second margin regions from the recording region, the front margin cutter including the first movable blade and the first stationary blade, the rear margin cutter including the second movable blade and the second stationary blade. The retention mechanism is arranged between the front and rear margin cutters, and operates while the front margin cutter is actuated or while the rear margin cutter is actuated.
Furthermore, a feeder feeds the sheet material in the feeding direction. A controller controls the feeder to position the first and second margin regions at respectively the first and second stationary blades in actuation of the front and rear margin cutters.
Furthermore, a dust receiver chamber is disposed substantially under the at least one stationary blade, for receiving the first or second margin region cut away from the recording region.
In a preferred embodiment, a printer is provided for image recording to a recording sheet, the recording sheet including a recording region adapted to image recording, and at least first and second margin regions positioned downstream and upstream from the recording region in a feeding direction. In the printer, at least one stationary blade has a stationary blade cutting edge extending crosswise to the feeding direction. At least one movable blade moves in contact with the stationary blade cutting edge to cut the first or second margin region away from the recording region. A retention mechanism prevents the recording sheet from being moved by the movable blade while the movable blade cuts away the first or second margin region.